13. Servicemen Rampaged Against Mexican-American Teens
WWII Los Angeles became a major military hub, with hundreds of thousands of servicemen stationed there or passing through. To many white military personnel, the wearing of Zoot suits was viewed as a public flouting of the war effort. Mexican-Americans came to be seen as unpatriotic – even though they actually served in the military at higher rates than whites. As a group, they also had one of the highest percentages of Medal of Honor recipients. Unfortunately, racism seldom cares about facts.
Rioting erupted in June of 1943, when mobs of white soldiers and sailors roamed that city, beating up allegedly “unpatriotic” Mexican-Americans wearing Zoot suits. While the rioters focused on Latino kids, young African Americans and Filipinos were also targeted. Copycat riots spread throughout California to San Diego and Oakland, then across the country to Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City. It was the first time in American history that fashion caused literal rioting and widespread civil unrest.